Elective caesarean operation in Hereford cattle

An elective left flank Caesarean operation was performed on 56 Hereford cattle and the influence of various surgical techniques on the postoperative progress assessed. A paravertebral nerve block produced effective analgesia in all layers of the abdominal wall of all cattle. In contrast, tissue infiltration, in the form of an inverted L block, did not produce analgesia of the peritoneum and was generally only partly effective in the muscle layers of fat animals. The use of spasmolytic drug facilitated handling of the uterus. Xylazine, when given to unmanageable animals, noticeably increased uterine tone even when used in conjunction with a spasmolytic. Three animals (5.4%) died from generalised peritonitis. Peritoneal adhesions developed in 29 animals (51.8%) and minor wound dehiscence and/or suture infection occurred in 8 animals (14.1%). Postoperative subcutaneous emphysema developed in ;23 cattle (41%). The absence of sutures in the peritoneum was associated with a significant increase in the occurrence of subcutaneous emphysema. Although the prevalence of retained foetal membranes was high this did not seem to influence the postoperative progress of the animal.